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I think they're just the most unique to his point of view? If they were canon, then I feel very bad for Keiichi since that would mean his first kiss is from Ooishi and I wouldn't know how to accept "Limit" then, that would be a very bad end for the entire series.

I've heard that one of those manga (Yukiwatashi-hen) establishes Hanyuu looped the life of more then one Rika, so "Limit" would only be a bad end for one of them. I think the stuff that wasn't written by Ryukishi 07 should simply be considered Expanded Universe material

With all the different fragments in the Higurashi universe, I think some of them could work as possible endings/worlds... but they probably shouldn't be treated as apart of the "official storyline".

Also, I really liked "Arigatou" in Katarabanshi-hen 7, which was about Hanyuu disappearing in 1984. So sad... ;;

EDIT: Two more questions related to Frederica Bernkastel's poems.

1) To those who have played Higurashi Kizuna. (I only have IV...) Were there any new Frederica Bernkastel poems in the DS-only arcs? I know there were two new ones in the PS2 Matsuri.

2) And about Saikoroshi-hen VN chapter, the story about "when God still appeared in front of the people" - are these considered Frederica Bernkastel poems? It's not signed with her name like the other poems. I'm wondering because people seem to consider it a poem of hers...

I've watched the Higurashi anime series (Higurashi no naku koro ni, kai & rei) and am currently collecting the manga series in English to my book collection. I've read the wikipedia article about the series but I still have some questions regarding the arcs.

If I have understood correctly the main series goes like this (marked the ones that have been released/will be released for sure in English with italic writing):

Higurashi no naku koro ni is the “question” part of the series and consists of these four arcs:

All of these have been released in Japanese except for the last volume of Matsuribayashi-hen. Both Meakashi-hen and Minagoroshi-hen have gotten an English release date (some volumes are already out) and supposedly Minagoroshi-hen and Matsuribayashi-hen are going to be released afterwards.

Higurashi no naku koro ni Rei is an extra part of the story and consists of these arcs:

Out of these three arcs only Hirukowashi-hen has been released as a manga version in Japanese but if the wikipedia entry is correct there’ll be a manga version of Saikoroshi-hen in the future. These arcs might be released in English much later.
Then there are some manga only arcs that are extra stories:

All of these arcs have been released in Japanese. Onisarashi-hen and Yoigoshi-hen have been released in English. It’s unknown if the Utsutsukowashi-hen and Kokoroiyashi-hen will be released in English.

+ there's a number of exclusive arcs for DS,PS2 etc. that will most likely never meet a manga version more unlikely an English translation.

-----------------------------------------------------------

So if Yen Press decides to release only the most vital arcs (even though they have released already two extra story arcs) are Minagoroshi-hen & Matsuribayashi-hen the only arcs that do not have an official release date?

Are the Utsutsukowashi-hen and Kokoroiyashi-hen a good add to the story or do you think these arcs will never be released in English?

Has there been any news about the Saikoroshi-hen or Batsukoishi-hen being made into manga versions?

After Matsuribayashi-hen gets the volume 8 the arc should be complete? This means that the main arcs (question and answer) are complete (manga versions)?

If you're talking about Yen Press's release, look at the spine.
At the top, there's the Yen Press logo, "Higurashi series", and a number in a circle. The circled number is where that volume falls among all released volumes.

One thing bothers me, how did Satoshi get Hinamizawa Syndrome in the first place?

Satoshi has been in a L2 state ever since Satoko has needed his constant protection from their aunt and uncle. He reached L3 when he confessed to Rena about hearing the footsteps. He hit L4 shortly after killing his aunt. He hit L5 after he started hallucinating in Dr. Irie's car and seeing his aunt everywhere.

Edit: It should be noted that the mental/physical(?) stress of defending Satoko and himself from their aunt and uncle is the trigger for Satoshi's increasing L-state.

Since you even know about Hinamizawa Syndrome, I'm going to assume that you've seen Season 2 of Higurashi Kai or have read the translated Answer Arcs in the manga. If not, disregard these ABSOLUTE SPOILERS.

Spoiler for Yeah, still absolute spoilers:

Since the Hinamizawa Syndrome is caused by a microscopic airborne parasite that lives only in Hinamizawa, literally everyone who lives within the town is infected. Let's refer to this generic infectious state as L1. Only certain conditions trigger level advancement, such as intense emotional/mental stress or leaving Hinamizawa for extended periods (such as soldiers from Hinamizawa did in WWII).

Many of the main characters who have advanced cases have reached that point because they suspected that the Sonozaki family is directly involved in Oyashiro's Curse or believe that the Curse is real. Mion, who lives with Oryou, the current head of the Sonozaki Estate, knows that the family has nothing to do with Oyashiro's Curse, and she also does not believe in curses. As a result, she has had no reason to advance beyond L1. (In reality, the only event that might have elevated her state would have been during Shion's crusade.

Rika's case is much different. If we embrace the Queen Carrier Theory, then we accept that Rika (and all females in the Furude line) emit a pheromone that "calms" the parasites. This is why even infected individuals can exist (for a while, anyway) outside of Hinamizawa without incident if Rika accompanies them. However, Miyo theorized that this pheromone may actually act as a drug, and that if Rika was absent from Hinamizawa for an extended period of time, then the parasites would experience something akin to withdrawal, and catapult all their hosts to L5. Since Rika is the source of the pheromone (The Queen Carrier), she is incapable of displaying symptoms.

If we instead embrace the Traveler Theory, then we know that Rika is actually a much older and wiser consciousness that does not believe in "curses" per se, but she does know that SOMEONE is actually behind the deaths and disappearances. She has never displayed any suspicion towards the Sonozaki family, either. After cycling through Hinamizawa thousands of times, she knows practically everything about everyone in town. As such, she really has no reason to advance to higher levels. Just as Keiichi succumbed to the Syndrome in Onikakushi-hen because he could not understand the lives of his friends, Rika really cannot succumb because she understands practically everyone.

As for Satoshi:

Spoiler for When and Where:

He was picked up by Dr. Irie just after he bought the stuffed bear for Satoko (about 2-3 days after the death of his aunt). While Satoshi looked out the window of Irie's car, he kept saying that everyone was starting to look like his aunt, and he also began scratching his throat. Since Irie identified this as Satoshi advancing to L5, he took Satoshi directly to the clinic and sedated him. He has been confined there since late June 1982 (Showa 57).

I probably should know this since I've read it many times, but what exactly triggered the parasite in Keiichi to hit L3 when he came back to the city? Unless the source of the stress is never known and it may be because of something while he was at the funeral. People can't hear Hanyuu unless they're at least L3, right? Even in other arcs where he left and came back, he was not in L3 state but only in Onikakushi-hen he is.

I probably should know this since I've read it many times, but what exactly triggered the parasite in Keiichi to hit L3 when he came back to the city? Unless the source of the stress is never known and it may be because of something while he was at the funeral. People can't hear Hanyuu unless they're at least L3, right? Even in other arcs where he left and came back, he was not in L3 state but only in Onikakushi-hen he is.

Spoiler for Explanation:

We talk a lot about "triggers" when we refer to certain characters becoming unstable due to Hinamizawa Syndrome, but I treat Keiichi's case differently. Of course, it all starts when Tomitake comments on the murder at the construction site, but of course that alone isn't enough. It's actually this whole rapid succession of events that triggers Keiichi. Tomitake's comment, Keiichi's induction into The Club, Keiichi finding the newspaper article, Watanagashi, Miyo explaining Oyashiro's Curse, Miyo and Tomitake's deaths, his friends' behavior, and Oishi's involvement all take place over 5-6 days. That's a lot of unsettling information coming at him that hits increasing closer to home with each passing day. As such, I think that this culmination of events is what set Keiichi off, manifesting during his questioning by Rena.

I thought that a manga arc proved that Rika's "power" didn't sedate the parasite, and that Plan 34 was just a waste of human lives.

Spoiler for Manga Irie:

About Irie performing vivisection, was he putting them under? Or was he doing them the Unit 731 way?

And a question about the sound novels, Onikakushi-hen. Higurashi takes place in the 1980s, right? I swear there's a line in it directly referring to a camera cell phone, where Keiichi talks about some people using them or something. It wasn't a blatant fourth wall breaking either, he was just talking about them as if lots of Japanese had them in the 1980s. -_-

Is this Mangagamer's translation, or was that in the original Japanese script??

Spoiler for Several things I wanted to point out regarding the Hinamizawa Syndrome...:

The Queen Carrier Theory

In the prologue of the Minagoroshi-hen VN, the reader is asked if they know something that happens in Watanagashi-hen and Meakashi-hen that Rika doesn't know. What is it? In those arcs, Rika is killed either by being tortured to death by Shion or committing suicide. It's assumed that "the terminal symptoms will start showing within 24 hours at the earliest, and 48 hours at the latest." Obviously, Rika doesn't know what happens after her death.

Events take place after 48 hours and the villagers do not fall into madness after Rika's death. The Queen Carrier Theory is proven to be false.

Are Mion and Rika susceptible to the Hinamizawa Syndrome?

Even if Mion and Rika are not shown going berserk in the series, this does not mean they aren't susceptible to the disease. Like others have said, there needs to be something to trigger the level advancement. Mion just hasn't received the proper trigger.

* MION

Directly quoting this from Rika in the VN, "Mion never lost her mind in any of the worlds... I guess she doesn't have the guts for that... Oh, I suppose that was mean."

* RIKA

These are mostly my own thoughts. Even if Rika is the Queen Carrier, I believe she can also be elevated into the state of L5 based on some inferences I've made.

Minagoroshi-hen

Another VN quote from Rika: "There were times when I went on a rampage too. However, I was killed instead... how pathetic." She possibly went into L5 in other worlds. Before this, she also describes the other characters as "getting into a rage", "lost her mind", etc. She doesn't specifically say they go into L5.

Conversation between Irie, Takano, and Tomitake in the VN. I believe this is shown in the manga too. This happens in Minagoroshi-hen after Rika warns Tomitake and Takano at the shrine."I want to believe that it's only her paranoia... She said there's no absolute proof either..."
"Rika-chan's test result from last week... I thought they came out pretty good, but did you see anything different, Dr. Irie?"
"No... It was stable as always."

"Why does she think that someone is trying to kill her? If she's experiencing paranoia, she may be in the early L5 stage..."

Not only does the clinic give frequent check ups for Satoko, but Rika as well to see if she does enter the Syndrome's stages.

Rika's thoughts while visiting Irie. This occurs after the festival and speaking with Oishi in Minagoroshi-hen."Perhaps I have Hinamizawa Syndrome, and this is a hallucination..."

Although Rika is not in L5 when these thoughts and conversations take place, it does seem like it is possible that she can enter those stages with the way the characters are fretting over it.

Watanagashi-hen/Meakashi-hen

"Do not use C120 if your test results are not positive.

If used on a healthy body, the symptoms of high fever, rashes, dilated pupils, and hallucination will be seen within 10 minutes." (These notes are from the end of Minagoroshi-hen. Apply this information to what happened in Watanagashi-hen/Meakashi-hen)

In these two arcs, Rika tries to inject Shion with the C120 medication. Instead, Shion takes the syringe and injects it into Rika, who is healthy. This is the reason why she becomes very weak. In the VN and the manga, she is shown/described scratching her throat out. The notes on C120 do not describe throat scratching as a part of the symptoms on a healthy body, but it perhaps triggered Rika's body to elevate into L5 Hinamizawa Syndrome.

Spoiler for Several things I wanted to point out regarding the Hinamizawa Syndrome...:

The Queen Carrier Theory

Is Rika susceptible to the Hinamizawa Syndrome?[INDENT]Even if Mion and Rika are not shown going berserk in the series, this does not mean they aren't susceptible to the disease. Like others have said, there needs to be something to trigger the level advancement.

* RIKA[INDENT]These are mostly my own thoughts. Even if Rika is the Queen Carrier, I believe she can also be elevated into the state of L5 based on some inferences I've made.

Minagoroshi-hen

Another VN quote from Rika: "There were times when I went on a rampage too. However, I was killed instead... how pathetic." She possibly went into L5 in other worlds. Before this, she also describes the other characters as "getting into a rage", "lost her mind", etc. She doesn't specifically say they go into L5.

Spoiler for Counter:

It may be possible that Rika has gone escalated to L5 in unseen worlds. However, as you stated, she has never explicitly stated that she had reached L5. She's only said that "she went a rampage." We have evidence that Rika has snapped from time to time, but has remained perfectly sane (eg. her episode with Irie and Takano in the clinic in Minagoroshi-hen, her beating Satoko in Saikoroshi-hen, etc).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joly

Spoiler for The Queen Carrier Theory - Part 2:

Conversation between Irie, Takano, and Tomitake in the VN. I believe this is shown in the manga too. This happens in Minagoroshi-hen after Rika warns Tomitake and Takano at the shrine."I want to believe that it's only her paranoia... She said there's no absolute proof either..."
"Rika-chan's test result from last week... I thought they came out pretty good, but did you see anything different, Dr. Irie?"
"No... It was stable as always."

"Why does she think that someone is trying to kill her? If she's experiencing paranoia, she may be in the early L5 stage..."

Not only does the clinic give frequent check ups for Satoko, but Rika as well to see if she does enter the Syndrome's stages.

Rika's thoughts while visiting Irie. This occurs after the festival and speaking with Oishi in Minagoroshi-hen."Perhaps I have Hinamizawa Syndrome, and this is a hallucination..."

Although Rika is not in L5 when these thoughts and conversations take place, it does seem like it is possible that she can enter those stages with the way the characters are fretting over it.

Spoiler for Alternative Inference:

None of the cases witnessed so far have displayed evidence hinting at a sudden instantaneous jump to L5, let alone a "jump to early L5." I have a feeling that the group was simply being cautious because the (unseen) possibility of instant L5 has not yet been disproved (which again, leads credence to Takano's personal belief in the Queen Carrier Theory).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joly

Spoiler for Hinamizawa Syndrome - Part 3:

Watanagashi-hen/Meakashi-hen

"Do not use C120 if your test results are not positive.

If used on a healthy body, the symptoms of high fever, rashes, dilated pupils, and hallucination will be seen within 10 minutes." (These notes are from the end of Minagoroshi-hen. Apply this information to what happened in Watanagashi-hen/Meakashi-hen)

In these two arcs, Rika tries to inject Shion with the C120 medication. Instead, Shion takes the syringe and injects it into Rika, who is healthy. This is the reason why she becomes very weak. In the VN and the manga, she is shown/described scratching her throat out. The notes on C120 do not describe throat scratching as a part of the symptoms on a healthy body, but it perhaps triggered Rika's body to elevate into L5 Hinamizawa Syndrome.

Spoiler for Fine Line of Interpretation:

This scene can be taken two VERY different ways. Although Rika claws her throat out/stabs herself in the temple with a knife shortly after being injected with C120, she DOES NOT seem to be hallucinating. In the anime, at least, she speaks quite calmly with Shion before killing herself, saying that she would rather leave the stage by her own hand than to be tortured by Shion. She doesn't have to explicitly display L5 symptoms. HOWEVER, in the VN/manga, she claws her throat out. But that only lends credence to a L5 death if she doesn't have the last word with Shion, but instead just seems just misdirection for dramatic effect (eg stabbing yourself in the temple when cutting your throat would suffice).

She cut her neck open before clawing it with the knife in the VN, didn't she? She might've just done that to make herself bleed to death quicker, not by trigger to L5. Also, doesn't / shouldn't Rika have immunity to the parasite? Her blood was used to make Satoko's medication, after all (though, I'm not sure if that guarantees complete immunity or she simply has antibodies that help slow the effects of it). I'm taking the rampage bit as she simply rage-quit over the situation in some worlds; if she remembered them, they might have been some of the first few worlds she went through when she still had some will to figure out how to exit the maze of Higurashi. Though, since those who have went on L5 rampages left strong impressions on them in later worlds like Minagoroshi-hen, the possibility isn't eliminated...